The Senior Deputy Speaker

Peers: Leave of Absence

Lord Young of Cookham: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether letters applying for Leave of Absence from the House of Lords are in the public domain.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: No. Members applying for leave of absence are required under Standing Order 21 to specify in their written application both their reason for seeking leave of absence and either a date by which they expect to return to the House or, if they are unable to specify a date, the circumstances which will allow their return. Letters requesting leave of absence may therefore contain sensitive personal information, which it would be inappropriate to disclose.

Department of Health and Social Care

Antibiotics: Prescriptions

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the safety of NHS England’s plan to allow community pharmacists to prescribe certain antibiotics.

Lord Markham: Pharmacists with an additional prescribing qualification are already allowed to prescribe medicines within their competence, including antibiotics. These skills are already being used in general practice and hospitals where many pharmacists have a prescribing qualification. Changes have been made to the initial training and education of pharmacists so that from 2026 all pharmacists will qualify with a prescribing qualification.As part of the Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care, an additional investment up to £645 million will support a new Pharmacy First service which will allow community pharmacists to assess patients and provide treatments, including the supply of certain antibiotics. These will be supplied against Patient Group Directions (PGDs) which have been designed following extensive input from expert clinicians across the National Health Service to mitigate against the risk of increased antimicrobial resistance. The PGDs will be informed by the latest National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance to embed best practice and the new service will be closely monitored to ensure treatments, including antibiotics, are being supplied appropriately. In addition, a separate evaluation of the service will be commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

NHS: Drugs

Lord Warner: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to refer the Impact Assessment for the 2023 Statutory Scheme to control the cost of branded health services medicines to the Regulatory Policy Committee.

Lord Markham: There are no plans to refer the statutory scheme Impact Assessment to the Regulatory Policy Committee. The proposals only impact companies which choose to sell to the National Health Service and are therefore considered to be in connection with procurement. Given this, the statutory exclusion from the Better Regulation Framework “Procurement 22(4)(b)” applies as confirmed previously by the Economic and Domestic Affairs Secretariat at the Cabinet Office.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

The Lord Bishop of Derby: To ask His Majesty's Government, following the Children's Society's The Good Childhood Report 2023, published on 20 September, what steps the Department of Health and Social Care's Major Conditions Strategy will take to prevent poor mental health and promote wellbeing in children and young people.

Lord Markham: As part of the development of the Major Conditions Strategy, we are considering the most effective ways to prevent and treat poor mental health and promote wellbeing for people of all ages. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders, the public and the National Health Service to identify actions that will have the most impact.

NHS: Drugs

Lord Warner: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the proposed update to the 2023 Statutory Scheme to control the cost of branded health services medicines, what policy options were included in the Department of Health and Social Care's long list as alternatives to the options that were included in the final consultation.

Lord Markham: The statutory scheme consultation sets out the options under consideration. We are in the process of analysing the responses provided, including consideration of any alternative options proposed, and will update on our preferred policy approach later this year. A copy of the impact assessment is attached.Statutory Scheme Impact Assessment (pdf, 606.6KB)

Brain Cancer: Research

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to thereport by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Brain Tumours,Pathway to a Cure – breaking down the barriers, publishedon 28 February2023, what is the expected timescale to develop a strategy for adequately resourcing discovery, translational and clinical research into brain tumours as recommended by the report; and whether they willcommit to ring fencing the recommended £110 million for this resourcing.

Lord Markham: The Department of Health and Social Care welcomes the All-Party Parliamentary Group report, recommendations of which continue to be worked through with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, UK Research and Innovation and the Medical Research Council (MRC), and with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).The report recommended action by the research funding agencies on coordinating activities and making funding available. We are taking steps to ensure that funders work closely together to coordinate work along the translational pathway, from the discovery and early translational science typically supported by the MRC, feeding through to the applied health and care research funded by the NIHR.It is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. As with other Government funders of health research, the NIHR does not allocate funding for specific disease areas. The level of research spend in a particular area is driven by factors including scientific potential and the number and scale of successful funding applications.

Mobocertinib

Lord Rogan: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had,orare intending to have, with (1) Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and (2) EGFR Positive UK, following the withdrawal of the drug Mobocertinib from the UK market.

Lord Markham: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is engaging with Takeda Pharmaceuticals. This is to ensure that where appropriate, patients can have continued access to Mobocertinib following its withdrawal from the United Kingdom market.The MHRA has not had discussions with EGFR Positive UK, but if approached would answer any questions they may have regarding the withdrawal of Mobocertinib from the UK market.

NHS: Staff

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the article Practice under pressure: how can the exodus of GPs be reversedpublished on 31 August by Dr Imelda McDermott and Dr Sharon Spooner, how they intend to make sustainable work schedules an integral part of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.

Lord Markham: The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan commits to implementing the actions from the NHS People Plan, including ensuring staff can work flexibly. However, as independent contractors, it is for general practitioner practices to decide staffing levels and distribution of work across their teams.

NHS: Drugs

Lord Warner: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce an end of scheme reconciliation exercise for the Statutory Scheme to control the cost of branded health services medicines.

Lord Markham: No end of scheme reconciliation exercise was proposed in the recent consultation on updating the statutory scheme. We are in the process of considering consultation responses.

NHS: Drugs

Lord Warner: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the proposed update to the 2023 Statutory Scheme to control the cost of branded health services medicines, what analysis and evidence the Department of Health and Social Care considered when it proposed to keep growth in the cost of branded medicines in real-terms decline, at 2 per cent a year.

Lord Warner: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Proposed update to the 2023 Statutory Scheme to control the cost of branded medicines, whether the 2 per cent cap in growth in the cost of branded medicines was assessed against (1) inflation expectations, and (2) demographic pressures.

Lord Markham: 2% allowed growth per annum represents an 80% rise in allowed growth compared to the 1.1% per annum which applied in the statutory scheme from 2019 to 2023. The proposal is consistent with the approach that underpinned the current statutory scheme’s 1.1% allowed growth, i.e., it equals the average allowed growth of the preceding voluntary scheme.The proposed allowed growth rate considered multiple factors including the overall fiscal path. Furthermore, consideration of the pipeline of upcoming new treatments featured within our forecast growth in spend on new treatments and, ultimately, continued growth forecast in medicine sales.Controlling growth at this level is considered to allow for a viable overall envelope for the statutory scheme more favourable for industry compared to the existing statutory scheme arrangements, whilst continuing to ensure that spend on branded medicines is affordable to the National Health Service.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Charities: Voluntary Work

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of COVID-19 on the number of volunteers in the charity sector, and what steps they are taking to support charities to recruit a sufficient number of volunteers.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: His Majesty’s Government recognises how vital volunteering is for society, reaping benefits for those who volunteer as well as the organisations they assist. The Government aims to remove barriers which prevent people from getting involved.The Government’s Community Life Survey shows that approximately 7 million people in England (16%) took part in volunteering with groups and organisations at least once a month in 2021/22. This is in line with rates recorded in 2020/21 (17%) and lower than before the pandemic.HM Government funded the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) to carry out the ‘Time Well Spent’ survey on volunteer experiences, which was published in June 2023. We are also working closely with the Vision for Volunteering, and funding it this financial year. This is a strategic initiative from the voluntary sector to lead the ongoing support and development of volunteering in England with the aim of changing the volunteering landscape for the better by 2032.My Department has also funded several other initiatives to support volunteering. The Volunteering Futures Fund supports organisations to develop more inclusive volunteering opportunities. The Know Your Neighbourhood fund aims to widen participation in volunteering and to tackle loneliness. We also provided funding for the Big Help Out the day after the Coronation of His Majesty The King, on 8 May 2023, which encouraged people to help out in their communities and to volunteer with charities in their local area.

Department for Business and Trade

Electric Vehicles: UK Trade with EU

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government, followingany negotiations with the EU concerning the implementation of tariffs on electric vehicles, what support they are providing to the industry in relation to any possible changes to tariffs.

Lord Offord of Garvel: The rules agreed in the Trade and Co-operation Agreement were designed to reflect industry capabilities, whilst encouraging onshoring of battery supply chains. Due to unforeseen and shared external shocks, carmakers across Europe have said they cannot meet the TCA’s rules from 2024 and could face tariffs. This is a shared problem and HMG is determined to work with the EU to fix the specific issue faced in 2024. Government continues to support the UK automotive industry through the Automotive Transformation Fund, facilitating the creation of an internationally competitive electric vehicle supply chain in the UK.

Treasury

Household Support Fund

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to extend the Household Support Fund beyond its scheduled end date of 31 March 2024.

Baroness Penn: I refer the noble Baroness to the answer given to PQ196466

Public Expenditure

Lord Patten: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the sustainability of UK debt levels.

Baroness Penn: The Government is committed to ensuring debt is on a sustainable footing. This is reflected in the Prime Minister’s priority to reduce national debt in the medium term and the legally binding fiscal rule to have debt as a share of GDP to be projected to fall in the fifth year of the forecast horizon. The independent OBR assesses performance against the fiscal rules twice a year alongside each fiscal event. In March 2023, the OBR confirmed that the fiscal rules had been met with debt falling as a percentage of GDP in 2027-28. The OBR will publish an updated economic and fiscal forecast on 22 November alongside the Autumn Statement In the Charter for Budget Responsibility, the Government requires the OBR to publish an annual Fiscal Risks and Sustainability report, which includes long-run projections of the Government finances. The government will respond to the latest FRS at a future fiscal event. To manage longer-term spending pressures and maintain high quality public services, the Chancellor has recently announced a major public sector productivity programme.

Public Expenditure: Wales

Lord Wigley: To ask His Majesty's Government what additional funding they have made available to the Welsh Government over and above the basic budget provision for Wales in the financial year 2023–24; and for what purposes any specific use was stipulated.

Baroness Penn: Spending Review 2021 set the largest annual block grant, in real terms, of any spending review settlement since the devolution Acts. This provided the Welsh Government with £2.5 billion in 2023-24 through the Barnett formula, on top of their £15.9 billion baseline. They also received over £320 million of ringfenced non-Barnett funding for 2023-24 for farming and fisheries. On top of this settlement, the Welsh Government have received an additional £745 million through the Barnett formula for 2023-24, largely as a result of decisions made at Autumn Statement 2022 and Spring Budget 2023. They have also received around £450 million in non-Barnett funding for 2023-24 since Spending Review 2021. It is for the devolved administrations to allocate their Barnett-based funding in devolved areas as they see fit. They can therefore take their own decisions on managing and investing available resources, reflecting their own priorities and local circumstances, and they are accountable to the devolved legislatures for these decisions. Non-Barnett funding is generally ringfenced, meaning it can only be spent for the purpose it was given. A breakdown of Barnett and non-Barnett funding, including the policy areas for which the non-Barnett funding is ringfenced, can also be found in the Block Grant Transparency publication. This publication is updated regularly, and the most recent report was published in July 2023.

Individual Savings Accounts: Stocks and Shares

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to permit fractionated shares to be held in ISAs.

Baroness Penn: HMRC’s long standing view on interpretation of the current law is that a fraction of a share is not a share for the purposes of the ISA legislation.The government is committed to ensuring the ISA the market works for both industry and consumers. We are aware of representations from the industry to allow fractional shares to be included in ISAs going forward, and are considering the issue.

Household Support Fund

Lord Palmer of Childs Hill: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the letter fromViscount Younger of Leckie to all members of the House of Lords on 13 October, whether themoney allocated in the Household Support Fund is new money or money that has already been spent.

Baroness Penn: The Government is providing £842m to Local Authorities in England to deliver the Household Support Fund in England over 2023/24. The Devolved Administrations have received additional funding via the Barnett formula. This is additional funding to Local Authorities, not re-allocated from elsewhere.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

National Grid

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards establishing theFuture System Operator; and when they expect it to be fully operational.

Lord Callanan: The Department for Energy Security & Net Zero and Ofgem continue to work closely with National Grid, the Electricity System Operator and National Gas Transmission to establish the Future System Operator. This has included taking forward legislation as part of the Energy Bill; undertaking further consultation on the roles of the Future System Operator; and developing the relevant licences and detailed implementation plans. Depending on a number of factors, including passage of the Energy Bill and discussing timelines with key parties, our aim continues to be for the FSO to be operational in 2024.

Drax Power Station

Lord Birt: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Callanan on 3 July (HL Deb col 984) on the use of Biomass at the Drax Power Station, on the basis of what evidence officials advised that “the Panorama Programme provided an inaccurate representation of practices by the forestry and business sector on the ground”, as set out in a briefing note obtained through a Freedom of Information request and published on 12 October.

Lord Callanan: I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave to him on 18 September to Question UIN HL9759.

Energy: Prices

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to help households struggling to pay their energy bills this winter if they fail to make an application for financial support.

Lord Callanan: The Government recognises the cost-of-living challenges families are facing and in response last winter we launched a package of support for households and businesses, spending £40 billion and paying around half a typical household’s energy bill. In order to continue protecting the most vulnerable, in 2023-24 the Government is already providing additional cost of living payments of up to £900 to households on means-tested benefits, of £300 to pensioner households, and of £150 to those on eligible disability benefits. The vast majority of this support has been and will be made available automatically to households and without the need for an application process.